


Friend

by mimikametamorphosis



Series: Fire Emblem: Three Houses One Shots [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:34:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23966221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimikametamorphosis/pseuds/mimikametamorphosis
Summary: My friend, he thought. He knew she was more than that. She was a hero worthy of legends and sonnets; the Goddess incarnate herself. She was his professor, his Teach. She was the stars the in the sky looking at him and guiding him every step of the way. She was the dawn that he had been waiting for all his life, the light that would lead him to where he wanted to be. She was Byleth.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Series: Fire Emblem: Three Houses One Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727869
Comments: 4
Kudos: 66





	Friend

He thought that time would ease what he felt but it did not. In fact, it was the same as before -- or so he'd like to tell himself. This wasn't the first time he's felt this: a buzzing in his brain that refused to go away; a twitch at the corner of his mouth; and an involuntary curving of his hand into a fist. Their paths had crossed frequently as of late and he could not help but feel a twinge of annoyance well up in his chest. He hoped it never showed on his face because he wanted to keep as many useful people as his allies considering their circumstances. Most importantly, any sign of weakness was an unwelcome dent in his armor.

He found it odd, he admitted to himself. They had gotten along amicably over the last five years, working together towards their shared goal but once they had achieved it, something in their dynamic had changed. He had pondered on what had changed between them but seeing her pale green eyes look at him everyday made him realize that it was in front of him the whole time. Loath to admit that it was something so trivial, Claude shook his head.

It was morning yet he felt as though he'd already gone through the day with all the mental gymnastics he's done. He pushed off his blanket and dressed himself. There was a war council that day and he was scheduled to train with the professot after. He chuckled at the thought of training with their professor after five years. He thought it was silly the first time Byleth had suggested it. They had not seen each other for five years and she insisted that they continue with their training as though only a day had passed since they last saw her.

 _Training with Teach,_ he mused as he laced his undershirt. _Glad that some things don't have to change._

He took out a long-sleeved doublet from his closet. It was made of gold silk, with maroon trimmings and lapels. It was his one of the simpler ones his late grandfather owned and it was easier to discard this once he began training. He wore it over his undershirt and buttoned it. He slipped on his trousers and went on his way.

* * *

“Everyone here?”

Claude heard Byleth from outside the war room. He could've entered as soon as he arrived but he wanted to have a bit of fun to shake off all the annoyance felt this morning. He stood with his back against the door and listened.

He knew that Byleth inspected each one of them and that she noticed that her tactician had not yet arrived.

"Where are Claude and Yuri?"

The corners of his lips twitched.

“I'm sure they're on their way, Professor," Hilda yawned. “Maybe they just couldn't shake off the sleepies right away.”

“Surely Claude understands that he should not keep the rest of us waiting,” Lorenz huffed. “It is absolutely unbecoming of a noble, much less the head of the Alliance!"

And there was his source of fun.

“It's too early for that, Lorenz,” Leonie chided. “Lighten up will you? Besides, we all came here early. The war council isn't meant to start until after five minutes.”

“If he can keep dilly-dallying, then maybe he can also relieve himself of his headship and give it to someone who can— ”

Maybe it was time to make his entrance.

"Easy, Lorenz," Claude said as he entered the room, his hands up in mock surrender. "Relax, I'm here. No need to get your breeches in a knot because you missed me so much."

“To mock instead of apologizing for his indescretion; how unbecoming,” Lorenz spat as he glared at Claude.

Claude simply replied with a lopsided smile and patted Byleth's shoulder as he sat down on her right.

"Well, my frie—"

"Looks like I'm the last to arrive, friend."

And so it starts: the buzzing in his head had begun.

Yuri entered the room and sat on Byleth's left, placing himself directly in front of Claude.

“Alright, everyone, let's begin.”

Byleth turned to Yuri.

"Do you have any information for us, Yuri? I heard that your channels have come by some useful information."

"Naturally," Yuri said as he bowed his head.

"I also have useful information regarding our next battle," Claude began. He felt Hilda bristle at his side. It made him adjust his tone to a more amicable one.

"It seems Lord Gwendal of House Rowe will be riding to meet us at Ailell. He'll be coming with an army to stop us from meeting with House Daphnel. We're still checking our ranks to see who leaked the information. We have a number of former Kingdom soldiers that have joined our ranks once the heads of Houses Gautier, Galatea, and Fraldarius joined our army. No offense to the three of you."

He nodded in the direction of Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix.

"None taken," Sylvain replied nonchalantly. "This is war, afterall. Nothing, not even loyalty, is certain."

"Thanks for that. Moving on, so far, we've narrowed it down to three possible candidates and two are from the Kingdom. We'll be probing them once we—"

"There is no need," Yuri said coolly. "My men have sniffed out the rat."

"You have?"

Byleth looked at him and he smiled at her.

Claude felt a small prick at his temple.

"Excellent work, Yuri," Claude managed to say through a stiff smile. He rested his elbows on the table and laced his hands in front of him. "You could have said so sooner."

"You were talking and you had valuable information I could work on," Yuri said simply.

"Good, I'll leave the matter of the rat to both of you since you're both our spymasters anyway," Byleth said with finality. "We must move on to our formations. Please open the map at the center of the table."

Byletyh took a small, open chest of wooden figures amd started placing them on the map. Claude watched as each labelled piece found itself atop the rocky fields of Ailell. He would question some of her decisions once she had laid them all out which was how she had always preferred it.

"Hey," Yuri said, "I think you might want to put your battalion a little far off than there, friend."

"Yuri," Byleth said, looking at him pointedly, "please let me finish."

This earned a smug smile from Claude which he hid behind his laced fingers. He could feel someone looking at him and true enough, he saw Hilda looking at him with a bewildered expression. He leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"I know strategy's not your strongest suit," Claude began, "what's on your mind?"

"This looks simple enough, Claude," Hilda retorted. "I'm just wondering what's up with you and him." She shifted her eyes to Yuri's direction. He was now helping Byleth lay out the rest of the figures as she instructed him.

"Nothing's up," Claude said simply.

"Sure, and I want to go on the frontlines," Hilda said as she rolled her eyes. "You're acting funny."

"Well, I don't see you laughing," he countered with a lopsided smile.

Hilda huffed and leaned back into her seat, clearly turned off by his dismissal of the topic. He decided to scan the figures and their respective positions on the map. While he knew his professor was good at tactics, he found some questionable decisions sprawled across the field. He will point it out later once they had started but something else else caught his eye.

He saw Byleth reach out for the small chest at the same time Yuri did. Their hands touched, Yuri's hand over Byleth's. Claude found that their hands stayed that way a little too long for his liking. Yuri kept his hand over Byleth's until she moved hers away.

“Oh. I'm sorry, Yuri,” Byleth said with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"There you go being cute again," Yuri said with a cheeky grin as he returned the chest to its original place.

"Shall we start?" Yuri sat down and rested his cheek on one of his hands, looking slyly at Byleth.

Claude couldn't help but be disinterested for most of the council but he didn't forget to question her formations. Still, his mind couldn't help but wander throughout the rest of the war council after that distraction.

He listened intently to each of them — even Yuri — as they gave their suggestions but his mind was split between formulating his schemes for the upcoming battle and understanding the annoyance brewing slowly in his chest.

"Claude," Byleth began. He was shook out of his thoughts and, in that split second, he managed to recall the general gist of what they were talking about. "Do you agree with what we've planned? You are our master tactician afterall. Do you need more time to think this through?"

He looked at the clock behind Yuri's head. It was a little past one o'clock. He didn't have enough energy to do a sweeping review of their batteplan as of the moment and decided to distract himself.

"I think," he began, "its time for some lunch. I'll get back to you on that, _my_ friend. For now, I'm starving."

* * *

"You're distracted," Byleth said as she disarmed Claude for the third time in their training session. His sword flew to the floor with a loud clang.

"Again," she said, going into position. She pointed her rapier at him while her other hand was tucked behind her. "Pick up your sword, Claude."

Claude ran his hand threw his hair, shaking out small beads of sweat. He had already shed his doublet and tossed it near the weapons rack. He picked up his sword, piqued at himself for not performing well.

He swung his blade side to side, trying to shake off his ill feelings. He bended his knees and pointed his broadsword towards Byleth, looking her straight in the eye. Yes, those pale green eyes. They were a darker color before but it was what it was now.

Byleth charged at him swiftly, her nimble steps barely making any sound as she rushed towards him. He parried her strike with his sword while she let her blade slide along the length of his, creating sparks in its wake.

 _Strong as always,_ he thought to himself, a small smirk forming in his lips.

Her eyes stayed focused on his. He could see fire, determination. She never liked losing no matter what cool, blank facade she wore. It was there in her eyes, like glowing embers being stoked in a fire. He wished to reflect the same towards her. He hated losing which was why he always had contingencies. So long as they never have his head, he has not lost. He doesn't want to lose, he admits, not here, or in any other area that mattered to him and that included her.

He placed his forearm against the flat of his blade and pushed hard against her. She backed away a few paces but she charged at him again, ready to swing her sword. He ducked and aimed to slash her abdomen. She jumped to the side and turned on her heels, slashing a part of his arm in the process.

Claude winced in pain as his torn sleeve began to soak in some of his blood. The cut was shallow and it stung when his sweat dripped on it. He holds up his hand to signal a short reprieve as he tears the rest of his sleeve. Byleth however continued to charge towards him. She swung her blade at his abdomen and he narrowly evaded it.

“Teach,” he gasped, “go easy now. This isn't the battlefield yet.”

“It isn't,” Byleth said matter-of-factly. “If it were you'd be dead. You're not a child, Claude. Brave through your wound and fight.”

He smiled to himself and charged at her. She stepped to the side but he sent a sweeping kick into her direction. She barely dodged it and quickly leapt away from Claude to steady herself.

“Better,” she said, a small smile gracing her face. “Fight with your body. Your sword is just an extension.”

 _Fight like a mercenary, you mean,_ Claude thought fondly.

It was one of the first things she taught them when she became their professor. It was a memorable day when she went through six Knights of Seiros, all of them fighting nobly, relying only on their weapons. All of them beaten down with dents in their armor. She served to prove a point that fighting with what you have was not any less noble than relying on your weapon. After all, chivalry and decorum were forgotten philosophies on the battlefield.

He was caught off guard for a moment and had the wind knocked out of him with a strong hit to his chest. He didn't notice Byleth while he was reminiscing. His breathless state was just a reminder of how he always was when she'd come crashing through his defenses.

 _Breathless_ , he thought, _you always leave me like that._

“Focus, Claude!”

He wondered if it was mean of him to relish when she would display irritation towards him. It was a rare delight to see her frustrated. He had done so many things when he was younger to rile her up and ruffle her feathers but she never reacted the way she did now. After five years, she seemed different, as though life was breathed into her that she started to show different sides of her, even if it was only with him.

He stood up from his crouched position and charged towards her, matching her nimble movements as she dodged out his way.

_Turn_

He turned to his side and parried away her blade. Her grip was strong, he knew, and it would take much more force for her to let go. He could feel a surge in his body and he knew his crest had activated. Not one to waste an oppurtunity, he slashed away in her direction with increasing force. She barely had time to dodge him and was nicked in the arm. His wound felt hot and he could see that it started to close. He charged at her once again and repeatedly slashed at her until he backed her into one of the pillars in the training grounds; his sword's edge lightly pressed against her throat.

“You'd be dead if this wasn't training, my friend,” he said in between ragged breaths. He gave her a cheeky smile and she gave him a bigger smile in turn.

 _There you go being cute again,_ he thought, smiling to himself. Realizing this, he shook his head and frowned.

“Are you alright?”

Byleth asked, the slightest hint of worry showing on her brows. He pressed his forehead against hers for an instant and pulled back.

“I'm sorry,” he said, his breathing slowly stabilizing. “I just have a lot of things on my mind.”

“We can talk about the plan later if you like,” Byleth offered. “Just the two of us this time since we'll be leading them.”

He wondered if she had gotten better at reading people but he knew better. She was talking simply and practically.

“I'll get back to you on that, Teach,” he said as he fished his doublet off the floor.

Byleth returned their used weapons to their racks and walked towards Claude. She was combing the tangles out of her hair and trying to clean some grime of her face with the palm of her hand.

Claude chuckeld. She was adorable, indeed.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, my friend, here,” Claude took out his handkerchief and gave it to her. "Keep it. I have a lot of those anyway."

* * *

"Hey, my friend," Claude said as he patted Byleth's shoulder.

“Oh, Claude,” Byleth was surprised, her green eyes widening a bit at the sight of him. "I thought you were Yuri."

He laughed it off. Frustration was brewing inside of him but he pushed it deep within himself and hoped it wouldn't surface again.

“I'm offended, Teach,” Claude said with what he hoped was mock annoyance. “I think I look more dashing than he does.”

Byleth let out a small chuckle. Whether she agreed at the thought of it or laughed at him was moot. He loved any display of emotion she offered.

“So, is this seat taken?”

“No,” Byleth gestured for him to sit down. "Go on and sit."

“Are you expecting, Yuri?”

Claude said before spooning a bit of food in his mouth to stop him from saying something he didn't want.

“No,” she said. “It's just that he often calls me ‘friend’.”

“I call you ‘my friend’,” Claude pointed out. “Do they sound so similar to you?”

“No,” Byleth looked at him, at his eyes. He was right to think that she had gotten better at reading people, him in particular. She was searching for something. “I suppose not.”

“See, Teach? I am one of a kind afterall. The one and only, Claude von Reigan. I don't think anyone can top that."

Byleth let out a small laugh. It tickled his ears. He wanted more of it

“On second thought,” Byleth began, “it is similar. You and Yuri are similar in your own ways but different.”

His heart sank. Was he really no different to her? All those times they had steeled away, just the two of them, planning their next move in an upcoming battle and sleeping against each other when they were tired out. All those times she would drape a blanket over his shoulders when she thought he had fallen asleep in the war room. Or when she would bring him a breakfast tray the next day and chat with him when he woke up. Were they all so commonplace to her?

 _They might be_ Claude taught, his shoulders slumping in defeat. A sad smile spread across his face. She was kind, afterall. She would always check up on everyone after each battle; even being a shoulder to cry on. She understood very little of emotion but she tried her best to be there for everyone. He figured maybe he had read into their interactions far too deeply. Whether it was wishful thinking or a frivolous distraction, he didn't know. It may be best to stop it now before he suffers further.

“Different good, right?” He offered her.

“Yes,” she said with a small smile.

“Well, Teach” he said as he stood up from his seat, “I'd better head off and sleep. You really gave me a beating today.”

“False humility,” she muttered before taking a sip of water. “You beat me fair and square, Claude. I think I might go to you for training sessions instead.”

“Yeah? I'll look forward to them.”

He excused himself and disposed of his tray in the kitchens. He pushed past the big wooden doors of the Dining Hall and savored the evening air. He saw the moon glimmering over the lake.

He sat on the edge of the fishing platform outside of the Dining Hall, dangling his legs over the barely stirring waters of the lake. Most of the fish were probably resting, he thought, and so should he. Still, his mind was abuzz with the events today.

He knew Byleth had joined Yuri in the sauna after their training session so he decided it was best to leave them be instead of worming his way into their plans. Yuri wasn't someone he wanted to openly antogonize since he had no reason to. He had not done anything to deserve that, he thought. He stretched his hands above his head and leaned back on the platform. He felt at peace looking at the sky.

It was night now, the stars shined against a deep, dark canvas overhead. He loved to look at the stars. It reminded him of how small his troubles were. There was a bigger world out there, bigger than the ones he'd always known. Anticipation and excitement were building in him. Each battle was a step closer to that world. Soon, they'll wake up to a new dawn just as they did when she returned to them, to him.

 _Friend,_ he ruefully. _Friend, alright. Your friend who's being cute. Who's strong enough to beat six knights in single combat._

He sat up and rested his forearms on his thighs. He let out a sad chuckle.

_Your friend who always leaves you breathless._

True. She always did. It took her disappearance for him to understand that. There was not a day when he would stop looking for her, teaming up with Yuri to find out where she had gone. Five years of non-stop searches only to have her appear at the Goddess Tower on the day of the would-be Millenium Festival. Auspicious, some would call it — Divine Intervention, even. The Goddess herself has returned and promised a new dawn for all in the land.

He understood that she mattered to him more than as a means for him to achieve his goals; she had not been that to him for so long. He doesn't rememebr when but it came so gradually it was hard to trace. It mattered not to him. What mattered was that he wanted to see that new dawn with her by his side.

 _My friend,_ he thought. He knew she was more than that. She was a hero worthy of legends and sonnets; the Goddess incarnate herself. She was his professor, _his_ Teach. She was the stars the in the sky looking at him and guiding him every step of the way. She was the dawn that he had been waiting for all his life, the light that would lead him to where he wanted to be. She was Byleth.

His heart began to beat faster. He knew what it meant. If only he had pondered the lingering thoughts and feelings he had buried in the recesses of his heart maybe things would be clearer for him. Who had that luxury in war? One had to survive and that was a privilege and not a right. To think of his feelings right now was a luxury stolen from others that's why he never bothered understanding his own heart. It never sat well for him to consider his own feelings when those around him barely had the chance to do so or had lost theirs when he trampled on their corpses on the battlefield. How many of those men and women had their own feelings that were now lost to memory?

Maybe, he can indulge in this selfishness for once so that he can focus on what needed to be done; get it out of the way before it becomes something he cannot handle in the future. He always stamped down any trivial feelings he had, they were nothing but flights of fancy. And maybe, what he felt for her was too.

She was Byleth: his Teach, his stars, and his dawn. Most of all, she was the most important to him in the world right now.

“My love,” he said quietly. Yes, _his_ love. _My friend_ was always _my love._

He looked at the lake somberly with his realization. He would do anything for her smile, her laugh. Anything to see her happy. This new dawn was more for her than it is for him. For her to live a new life away from all the tragedies that befell her. A new life where maybe she can love an outsider if she knew how or even one where she'd let him. He had enough love for the both of them.

He wondered if Yuri meant the same when he calls her _friend._ Were his feelings as strong as his? Did he view Byleth the same way he did?

He remembered he asked her out on a date when they were still students. Claude listened in on their conversation. He realized that his irritation started then. How brazen was he to ask her out? He was a student and she was a professor. He knew however that Byleth understood what it was, though not fully, at the time. He understood too despite himself.

 _Trivial,_ he thought. _Nevertheless, a distraction._

He tucked his hands beneath his head and lied down on the platform again.

_It's time to say goodbye to this for now. We need to concentrate on the war._

Claude wondered if his feelings would die down like he'd hoped despite his proximity to her. She was always by his side that it seemed natural; their dynamics had shifted greatly after five years.

“Well, goodbye for now,” he said softly, his eyes looking at the stars above. “Maybe when the war is over, we could sort it all out."

“Sort what out?”

He bolted upright and turned behind him to see Byleth walking towards him. She sat next to him, her legs dangling over the lake. She looked at him questioningly.

“I know better than to ask what's on your mind,” Byleth started. “I know there are many things.”

“True,” Claude agreed with a soft chuckle.

“You're too distracted lately, Claude,” Byleth said as she leaned closer to him. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“It's not really something you can help me with, Teach,” Claude said, wistfully looking at the lake. “Not now, at least. Maybe after the war if you're still interested.”

“I don't understand you in many ways, Claude,” Byleth began as she looked to the lake as well. “You always seem to be hiding something. It's not something I understand.”

It's true. She cannot understand. She was an open-book after all. She had no secrets that she willingly kept unlike him. He had many.

Silence fell between them. The sound of cicadas filled their ears.

What was he to say?

 _Speechless,_ he thought. _Breathless and speechless in so many ways._

“I don't care about your secrets, Claude,” she said, finally. “If there are things you refuse to tell me, then I cannot do anything about them. What matters is you and that you're okay.”

He looked at her. She was staring at the moon now. Her face glowed beneath the moonlight and her eyes reflected the sparkling stars. Unpretentious and unassuming, that's what she was. He never saw her as pretty but she was indeed beautiful in all her innocence and purity. Despite all the blood in her hands over years of battle, she was clean. There was nothing tainted within her. She was as transparent as the waters beneath them yet just as deep. She knew not the intricacies of his life and maybe that's better that way.

“Thanks, Teach,” Claude said after a pause. That was all he could think of saying.

“We'll sort out your problems if you want,” she offered. “Or if I can't help you the least I could do is stay by your side.”

He sat closer to her but they avoided looking at each other.

“Is that a promise, Teach?”

It was different to want that of her and to hear her say it. It felt exhilarating, in fact. It may mean different things to them but he took delight in hearing it. A small consolation for an otherwise trying day.

Byleth turned to him and smiled with squinted eyes. He had never seen her smile like that before. His heart beat faster. He wanted to grab her and pull her into his arms and never let her go. He wanted her to be his but only time will tell if that were possible.

“Yes. Always.”

“Thank you, Teach,” he said as he brought her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles. “You don't know how much that means to me.”

He felt her hand bristle under his lips but she didn't slip away from his grip. She held on tighter. He looked at her through his fringe as he looked up slightly. She was looking at him with a warm smile and what appeared to be a dust of blush on her cheeks.

He smiled. His heart felt warm and full at the sight of her. He barely understood this feeling but he liked it. He felt that wherever his ambitions might take him, he'll always long to feel this again with her. An outsider like him couldn't understand what this was but maybe one day, he will. One day, he'll have a name for it too but for now, her name will suffice. Wherever in the world Claude was, he'll always search for this feeling with Byleth.

“Teach, I think it's a bit late now,” Claude said as he turned back to see the that Dining Hall lights were now extinguished. “Maybe we should head back to our rooms.”

“Maybe we can stay a while,” Byleth said looking at the moon with a soft smile. Her smile seemed almost private and that he was intruding into whatever she was feeling but he felt privileged that she let her guard down around him.

“Alright, my friend,” he began, noticing that she hadn't let go of his hand since he kissed it. “Anything for you.”

Byleth held on to his hand the entire time they looked at the moon. He'll never forget the way it felt to hold her hand in his. He wanted this feeling to last a lifetime and he'll spend the rest of life making sure it happens.


End file.
